Including weekly top bills, top comments, product announcements
Bills before Congress, April 23-27
SENATE:
S 1789 The 21st Century Postal Service Act is a bipartisan bill that would allow the U.S. Postal Service restructure its retirement payments in a bid to keep the USPS fiscally sound. The Senate made progress Tuesday on this bill over Republican objections that it would increase the deficit. The Senate voted on several amendments Tuesday, and has maybe 10 more amendments before finishing the bill Wednesday. SJRes 36 The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on SJRes 36, a Republican resolution that disapproves of a 2010 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board meant to speed up union elections. The resolution did not pass and the NLRB rule will take effect Monday, April 30. S 1925 Senate leaders on Tuesday agreed to move the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act along as quickly as possible, although it’s still unclear whether Republicans will insist on changes to this bill. Republicans have introduced their own bill, S. 2338, that would make substantive changes, including changes the GOP says would make sure the bill does not increase the deficit.HOUSE:
HR 3523 The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protect Act, from Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI-8), which would allow the government to share information with companies to help protect their networks. HR 4257 The Federal Information Security Amendments Act, from Oversight & Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA-49), is aimed at “improving the framework for securing information technology of federal government systems.” HR 2096 The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, from Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX-10), is meant to foster coordinated research between federal agencies to help address cyber threats. HR 3834 The Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Act, from Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Ralph Hall (R-TX-4), would reauthorize the government’s NITRD cybersecurity program. NOTE: highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way.
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The House will consider several bills dealing with cybersecurity this week, while the Senate will spend much of the week on a bill to save the U.S. Postal Serviceom red ink.
The House will vote on four cybersecurity bills on Thursday and Friday. They are:
- H.R. 3523 — The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protect act, from Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI-8), which would allow the government to share information with companies to help protect their networks. This was the fourth-most discussed bill on POPVOX last week.
- H.R. 4257 — The Federal Information Security Amendments, from Oversight & Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA-49), is aimed at “improving the framework for securing information technology of federal government systems.”
- H.R. 2096 — The Cybersecurity Enhancement act, from Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX-10), is meant to foster coordinated research between federal agencies to help address cyber threats.
- H.R. 3834 — The Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) act, from Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Ralph Hall (R-TX-4), would reauthorize the government’s NITRD cybersecurity program.
In the Senate:
- S. 1789 — The 21st Century Postal Service act (number 8 on POPVOX), is a bipartisan bill that would allow the U.S. Postal Service restructure its retirement payments in a bid to keep the USPS fiscally sound. Starting on Tuesday, the Senate is expected to start voting on up to 39 amendments to the bill.
- S.J.Res. 36 — The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on this Republican resolution that disapproves of a 2010 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board meant to speed up union elections.
- S. 1925 — The Violence Against Women Reauthorization act should be debated later in the week.
- Highway funding — Also look for the House and Senate to start reconciling their differences over federal highway funding. Last week, the House passed an extension of highway programs through the end of the fiscal year, H.R. 4348. In March, the Senate approved a two-year extension, S. 1813.
Also in the House this week:
The early part of the week for the House will be filled with several non-controversial bills. On Tuesday, the House will consider six bills dealing with federal land use:
- H.R. 1038, to authorize the conveyance of two parcels of land in the Coconino National Forest,
- H.R. 2050, the Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection act,
- HR. 2157, to facilitate a land exchange in the Inyo National Forest,
- H.R. 2947, to release the U.S. interest in land conveyed to establish an airport in Minnesota,
- H.R. 491, to modify the boundaries of the Cibola National Forest, and
- H.R. 2240, the Lowell National Historical Park Land Exchange act.
And on Wednesday, members will consider two others:
- H.R. 3336, the Small Business Credit Availability act, and,
- H.R. 2146, the DATA act, a bill aimed at increasing the transparency of federal spending.
Other bills of interest:
- H.R. 4089, the Sportsmen’s Heritage act, the most-discussed bill on POPVOX last week, passed the House on April 17.
- S. 2230, the Paying a Fair Share act, the second-most discussed bill on POPVOX, failed to advance in the Senate last week. The bill would impose a minimum tax on all income above $1 million.
- H.R. 4170, the Student Loan Forgiveness act, sets up a program to ease the burden of student loans on students. This bill, the third-most discussed on POPVOX, is currently not being discussed in any of the committees to which it was referred.
From our Hill sources:
Both the House and Senate will take up tax bills this week, in honor of tax day (April 17 this year).
H.R. 9 — This bill, the Small Business Tax Cut act, is the House GOP proposal to reduce small business taxes by 20 percent. The House should start work on this bill by Wednesday. It is expected to pass by Thursday at the latest.
S. 2230 — The Paying a Fair Share Act from Senate Democrats (i.e. the “Buffett rule”) would require a minimum 30 percent tax on all income earned above $1 million. This was the fifth-most commented bill on POPVOX last week.
Senate-watchers expect that the Senate will be limited to just debating this bill, given Republican opposition and the need for 60 votes to end debate. On Monday evening, the Senate will vote on a motion to proceed to the bill.
Transportation extension — This legislation (no bill number yet) would extend federal highway programs until September 30. Congress has authorized federal highway programs through June, but House Republicans are looking to pass another extension, plus language that would require approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
H.R. 4089 — The Sportsmen’s Heritage act (the seventh-most talked about bill last week) would expand the ability of sportsmen to use firearms on land controlled by the federal government.
Suspension bills — The House plans to take up four bills under a suspension of House rules, a process usually reserved for non-controversial bills.
Two would authorize congressional gold medals, one for famed singer and actor Lena Horne (H.R. 1815), the other for golfer Jack Nicklaus (H.R. 4040).
Two others celebrate historical figures: Mark Twain (H.R. 2453), and Raoul Wallenberg, who helped save Jews during the Holocaust (H.R. 3001).
Other bills of interest:
Last week, CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (H.R. 3523), was the top-trending bill on POPVOX. No votes are planned on this bill, but House Republicans could start the process of moving a cyber security bill in committee. This may also involve ideas found in H.R. 4263, which Republicans introduced just before the Easter break.
The second-most popular bill on POPVOX last week was H.R. 4043, the Military Readiness and Southern Sea Otter Conservation Act. This bill would allow Naval operations off the Southern California coast, even when otters are migrating through those waters. The House Natural Resources subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs will hold a hearing on this bill Thursday morning.
There are no signs of any movement for H.Res. 612, (number 10 on POPVOX last week), a resolution honoring the life of Trayvon Martin and urging repeal of Stand Your Ground laws.
Check out the bills that brought the most activity this week and click the links below to tell Congress what you think of them:
H.R. 3523: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011
H.R. 4043: Military Readiness and Southern Sea Otter Conservation Act
H.R. 2657: Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act
H.R. 1259: Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011
S. 2230: Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012
H.R. 4170: Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012
H.R. 4089: Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012
H.R. 123: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make certain tax relief permanent, and to repeal the estate tax.
S. 2200: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt certain family-owned farms and businesses from the estate tax.
H.Res. 612: Honoring the life of 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, urging the State of Florida and others to repeal the Stand Your Ground law, and admonishing involved parties to pursue full investigations into all homicides, regardless of defenses asserted by the offender.
H.R. 696: Tax Relief Certainty Act of 2011
H.R. 1448: Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act of 2011
H.R. 3359: Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act
H.R. 1327: Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2011
H.R. 4214: Compound 1080 and Sodium Cyanide Elimination Act
H.R. 3467: Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011
H.R. 177: Death Tax Repeal Act
H.R. 4122: Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act
Weekly Bill Round Up
Week of 3/19: Here are the bills that caught the attention of the POPVOX team and POPVOXnation this past week.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we’re simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
From the POPVOX blog, by Rachna Choudhry on FEBRUARY 15, 2012
Nearly one in four households provide care to someone who is aged. With that in mind, we pulled together some bills that are related to elder care. We hope you’ll weigh in on these bills on POPVOX and share with your friends and networks.
S 464 The End Abuse in Later Life Act establishes a grant program to enhance training and services to prevent abuse in later life.
HR 577 The Elder Abuse Prevention Act prevents the abuse and exploitation of older individuals.
S 1744 The Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act provides funding for State courts to assess and improves the handling of proceedings relating to adult guardianship and conservatorship, authorizes the Attorney General to carry out a pilot program for the conduct of background checks on individuals to be appointed as guardians or conservators, and promotes the widespread adoption of information technology to better monitor, report, and audit conservatorships of protected persons.
S 462 The Elder Abuse Victims Act (and HR 2564) better protects, serves, and advances the rights of victims of elder abuse and exploitation by establishing a program to encourage States and other qualified entities to create jobs designed to hold offenders accountable, enhance the capacity of the justice system to investigate, pursue, and prosecute elder abuse cases.
S 465 The Senior Financial Empowerment Act prevents mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud targeting seniors in the United States, to promote efforts to increase public awareness of the enormous impact that mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud have on seniors, to educate the public, seniors, and their families, and their caregivers about how to identify and combat fraudulent activity.
S 525 The Positive Aging Act amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for integration of mental health services and mental health treatment outreach teams.
S 604 The Senior Mental Health Access Improvement Act provides for the coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under part B of the Medicare program.
S 1819 The Strengthening Services for America’s Seniors Act amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to improve programs and services.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn’t imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we’re simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
If you have been following the discussions on extending the payroll tax cut (which expires Feb 29), you will be interested in the bill introduced yesterday by the House GOP. The bill extents the tax cut through 2012, with no offsets.
The bill language will be available soon.
Note: POPVOX is neutral. Highlighting a bill does not indicate endorsement.
Here’s what we’re hearing about this week — and what’s heading for a vote.
HR 7: American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012 (Vote in House this week)
S 1813: MAP-21Moving Ahead for Progress in the Twenty-First Century (MAP-21) (Vote in Senate this week)
The Extended Unemployment Benefits Reform Act (S 2081) requires individuals to complete 20 hours of public service and 20 hours of active job search per week as conditions for receipt of federal extended unemployment benefits. (Just introduced.)
The Energizing America Through Employment Act (HR 4000) approves the Keystone XL pipeline project. (Just introduced.)
HR 3998 amends the tax code to extend the deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers (Just introduced.)
Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act (HR 3995) prohibits brand name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic drug into the market. (Just introduced.)
HR 3991 prohibits the National Labor Relations Board from requiring that employers provide to the Board or to a labor organization the telephone number or email address of any employee. (Just introduced.)
The DISCLOSE Act (HR 4010) amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, and other entities. (Just introduced.)
The American Anti-Torture Act (HR 4011) modifies certain provisions of law relating to torture. (Just introduced.)
The Postmark Payment Act (HR 4003) provides that the payment of a bill, invoice, or statement of account due, if made by mail, shall be considered to have been made on the date as of which the envelope which is used to transmit such payment is postmarked. (Just introduced.)
S 2088 amends the tax code to permanently double the amount of start-up expenses entrepreneurs can deduct from their taxes. (Just introduced.)
S Res 370: resolution calling for democratic change in Syria. (Just introduced.)
U.S. Job Creation and International Tax Reform Act (S 2091) (Just introduced.)
NOTE: POPVOX is neutral. Highlighting a bill does not indicate endorsement.
Each week, POPVOX highlights bills that are being considered in Congress, have recently been introduced, or are generally just getting some buzz. Here are a few on the list this week:
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (HR 3897 and S 2043) provides religious conscience protections for individuals and organizations. (Just introduced.)
The Paying a Fair Share Act (HR 3903 and S 2059) implements the Buffett Rule and reduces the deficit by imposing a minimum effective tax rate for high-income taxpayers. (Just introduced.)
S 1945 permits the televising of Supreme Court proceedings. (Senate committee vote on Thurs.)
Civilian Property Realignment Act (HR 1734) decreases the deficit by realigning, consolidating, selling, disposing, and improving the efficiency of federal buildings and other civilian real property. (Just passed the House)
Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act (HR 3521) provides for a legislative line-item veto to expedite consideration of rescissions. (House considering today)
Budget and Accounting Transparency Act (HR 3581) increases transparency in Federal budgeting. (Passed the House on Tues)
STOCK Act (S 2038) prohibits Members of Congress and employees of Congress from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal benefit. (Senate passed; House begins consideration this week.)
Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act (HR 306) directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement to provide for management of the free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. (House passed Mon.)
